The True Story of Marilyn Monroe
by Fanficaddicttion
Summary: A rejected audition could result in a dangerously desperate attempt to be a star. Rated M to be safe. Please read and review. Thanks.
1. Let me be your star

The True Story of Marilyn Monroe

Chapter 1: Let me be your star

"NEXT!" said the demanding voice of director Derek Wills. A curvy 25 year old girl comes in and hands her song to the accompanist. She then hands her headshot and resume over to the stage manager.

"Name?" asked Derek

" Marilyn Monroe."

The crew all laughed.

"No really, dear. What's your name?" Derek asked

"That's really me name. It's not my resume and everything." Said Marilyn.

They looked at the resume.

"Well, apparently it is. Okay, Miss Monroe what are you doing for us today?" asked Derek

"I'm singing ' Don't Forget me' from Bombshell." Said Marilyn

She sang the song and everyone was in awe of her gorgeous voice. She could be Marilyn is Karen Cartwright didn't already have the part. When she ended she got a standing ovation from the crew. "That was terrific, Miss Monroe. We'll let you know our decision." Said Derek.

Marilyn was so excited she practically skipped home. She knew it was only the chorus she was auditioning for but with no one giving her anything. She would take everything she could she got to her apartment she called her boyfriend Joe.

"Hey,Joe. I think it went really well. They seemed to like my version of the song a lot. I know, I'm so excited. Can you imagine me on broadway?" asked Marilyn. "I'll talk to you later. Bye, Joe." Said Marilyn

Day after day went by with no response and then it turned into two weeks of nothing. Marilyn had been in this business for several months now and was just starting to get used to rejection. But she thought they liked her. They all applauded her but nothing… not even a call back. One day, Marilyn was in restaurant with Joe when she bumped into Derek Wills and Ivy Lynn.

" I'm sorry. O, Mr. Wills. You probably don't remember me. I'm Marilyn Monroe. I auditioned for the ensemble of Bombshell last week." Said Marilyn

"You had a girl NAMED Marilyn Monroe audition?" Ivy said looking at Derek

"Yes. Hello, Miss Monroe. It's a pleasure to see you again." Said Derek

"I was just wondering if the part in the ensemble was cast?" asked Marilyn

"Yes it was. I'm sorry, Miss Monroe you just aren't the type we're looking for. Good luck in your future endeavors." Said Derek

"What does that mean?" asked Marilyn as Derek walked away. She stopped Ivy "What does he mean?"

"Well, no offense, dear but you're too fat especially to be in a broadway musical. My suggest lose 30-40 pounds maybe you'll make broadway in 10-12 years. " said Ivy who walked away

"I'm fat…. Well screw you! Screw you, you big shot broadway director!" yelled Marilyn

Joe and Marilyn sat down at their table. Joe picked up his menu and looked at it and quickly decided what he wanted. He looked up and noticed that Marilyn wasn't looking at hers. "Marilyn, aren't you going to eat something?" asked Joe

"I'm not hungry. I'm fat anyway. I'm going on a diet." Said Marilyn

"You should still eat something and you are not fat. You are have the most beautiful curves ever." Said Joe

"Curves equals fat." Said Marilyn

"What's gotten into you. You never cared about weight like this before." Said Joe

"Maybe that's the problem. If I'm going to be on broadway I need to be skinny. So, I'm going to be skinny even if it kills me. I'm going to be a star." Said Marilyn

"I don't like that sound of that." Said Joe worried.


	2. the decision

Chapter 2- the decision

Joe and Marilyn had just finished dinner and were walking down the street. As they walked they passed a drug store.

"Joe, you go on a head." Said Marilyn "I want to pick up some vitamins at the drug store."

"I'll wait for you." Said Joe

"No! I mean no. I might be a while. There some other things I need to get too." Said Marilyn

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow and don't worry what that bitch from the restaurant and that nasty director said you are not fat. You are beautiful. Just like the Marilyn Monroe your parents named you after." Said Joe kissing her.

"See you,later, Joe. I love you." Said Marilyn

Marilyn walked into the drug store and grabbed every diet pill she could find. Paid for them with her credit card and walked back home. As she got ready for bed she looked at herself in the mirror. "Maybe Joe is right. Maybe I don't need all the diet pills I bought." Said Marilyn

Suddenly Ivy appears in her mirror.

"O, please, you're going to listen to him? He's a guy and he's not even in the theatre. He doesn't know what it takes. Trust me. You need those pills. As many of them as you can get. " said Ivy

Marilyn goes to the kitchen for a glass a water and takes some of the pills and then goes to bed. Another month goes by and Marilyn notices the weight really coming off. In fact, she becomes so confident she goes off to an audition for a new Whitney Houston musical starring actress Shelia Winters.

Marilyn walked in gives the stage manager her headshot and then starts to sing "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. As the crew did at the Bombshell audition they all applauded.

"Thank you for coming in ,Ms. Monroe." Said the director

A few days later Marilyn gets a callback. The call back goes just as well as the audition so well in fact the next day Marilyn is hired. She jumps up and down screaming and calls Joe. "I got it! I'm in " I will always love you" I'm just in the ensemble but I'm so excited."said Marilyn

"We'll go out to dinner tonight to celebrate." Said Joe on the other line

"Ok. I love you, Joe." Said Marilyn "I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Marilyn went to get ready for dinner. Since she was going out she decided to bring the diet pills just in case. Marilyn was so happy about getting a job she was actually willing to eat. She had some escargot and domestic rabbit. She skipped on desert and excused herself from the table to use the lady's room. The first thing she did was pop a couple of diet pills. She decided to double the dose to be on the safe side. She knew it wasn't the smartest idea in the world but if she was going to be in an off broadway show and someday be a star on broadway she was going to work much harder at losing weight and keeping her weight down. She left the bathroom and walked back to the table "I'm ready whenever you are, Joe."said Marilyn

On the walk home they passed by billboard after billboard. "One day, you'll be up there." Said Joe

"You really think so?" asked Marilyn

"Of course, I do. You are talented and beautiful. It might take a while but you'll be up there someday." Said Joe

"A while won't get here soon enough." Said Marilyn

"You can't rush these things and you already have your foot in the door with this new musical." Said Joe

"That's true. I just hope it's enough." Said Marilyn. Deep now Marilyn felt it wouldn't be enough and the only thing that would push her through the door would be the pills. They were her only friends now.


	3. let's be bad

Chapter 3: Let's be bad

Marilyn was in the rehearsal room with the rest of the ensemble who were guiding her through the blocking of the opening number. The only problem was during the part where she had to leap into her partner's arms she wouldn't leap far enough and would fall on her face every time. They had already gone over that part 15 times. At first she thought her partner couldn't get to her fast enough but then she realized he wasn't even trying and he wanted her to fail. None of them seemed to see her as a serious actor. They all saw her as a joke. Marilyn couldn't take it anymore. When they broke for lunch she ran to the bathroom and started downing diet pills. The only way they were going to take Marilyn seriously was if she was skinnier. Much much skinnier. Then she went to lunch by herself at Bill's bar and burger and ordered a hot dog. She would let the diet pills work their magic as she ate. Tears started to fall slowly down Marilyn's face. She had only eaten half of the hot dog and part of her wanted to eat the whole thing but she knew that you didn't lose weight by eating hot dogs. She was ashamed of herself for ordering it in the first place. So she just asked for the check ,paid, and went back to the rehearsal studio. The studio happened to be the one that Bombshell used and as she walked into the building she bumped into her friend Sam who was an ensemble member for that show.

"Marilyn Monroe, how are you doing?" asked Sam

"Hi, Sam. I'm all right." Said Marilyn lying through her teeth

"What's up?" asked Sam

"I'm in the ensemble of 'I will always love you'." She responded

"That's amazing,, girl. I got to get back to rehearsal and I'm assuming you do too. So, I'll talk to you later. " said Sam

"I'll see you at the show tonight." Said Marilyn

"You and Joe coming to see it?" asked Sam

"Yea, it was a birthday gift from my mother. She has a twisted sense of humor. But I love Bombshell so I'll forgive her this time." Said Marilyn

"See you, tonight, girl." Said Sam heading towards the elevator.

Marilyn decided to take the stairs and was prepared for anything that was thrown at her. Of course, rehearsal got more and more brutal as the day went on. The director was even threatening to fire her. But changed his mind when Marilyn promised she would do better tomorrow and was just having an off day.

That night Marilyn and Joe were fourth row center watching Bombshell. This was Marilyn's fifth time watching the show. She had originally seen it in Boston and fell in love with it which is why when she got an audition to be in the ensemble for it she was on cloud nine. Now, here she was watching it and crying and wishing she was up there with them. That's when the music for "Let's be Bad "started to play and Marilyn was suddenly on stage with the chorus girls.

"When we're feeling down and low,Then our favorite word is no cause it points the way to 's be knows what will come tomorrow?Neighbor, lose the sauce and 's some sugar you can 's be bad. Don't want to be twenties are 's punish the drummer man, do what you the (whoo!) will hit the fan! If you need some more

enticing,.Here's are girls with twice the spicingWe're the cake, but they're the icing!

Let's be 's be bad." Said the chorus girls.

Karen as the famous Marilyn Monroe pulled her forward "If you say something is taboo,Well, that's the thing I want to it till we're black and blue,Let's be and gangsters suit me Capone is a buddy of 's my big-shot 's be spirits are saggingIf feet are 'a dragging. Fall off of that piano hums to the bass and drums,And I'll be dancing when Hoover 't care if you've tied the knot,Most folks want what they ain't the ice, some like it 's be 's my whistle, make it "whetter."Let me wear that scarlet I'm bad I'm even 's be bad." Karen sings

Marilyn started to sing "If I drown in bathtub gin,Notify my next of kin,They might grieve, or might jump in!Let's be bad."

Karen continues"Who wants plays and O'Neill dramas?Gershwin is the cat's pajamas!We're the queens of the red-hot mamas!

Let's be crook and cop and he-man

Just stick with me, man!Every joint's a juke with my red-hot uke,

And just like Judas once said to Luke,"

They sing together "Here's the key for my ignition,

Hit the gas to my transmission!

When you hear the things I'm wishing'

You won't offer opposition!

Let's prohibit Prohibition!Let's be bad!"

"Some like it hot and that aint bad." Marilyn finishes and her and Karen pose.

Marilyn was sudden brought back to reality again.'No, I'm not like the real Marilyn. She had serious issues. I'm just trying to do whatever I can to make it and everyone needs an edge. The diet pills help me get mine.' She thought to herself 'I'll be a star with their help. People will at least like me with their help.'

On the walk home Joe noticed that Marilyn was acting oddly. "Marilyn, are you ok?" asked Joe

"Of course, I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be ok?" asked Marilyn suspiously

"You're just acting very strange lately. Has something been bothering you?" asked Joe

"No. I'm ok but thanks for your concern, Joe. I love you Joe Daniels." Said Marilyn wrapping her arms around him

"I love you too, Marilyn Monroe." Said Joe

Before they knew it they were at Marilyn's apartment

"I would invite you up but I have to be up early for rehearsal tomorrow. Thanks for a wonderful night." Marilyn passionately kisses Joe and then runs upstairs before he has a chance to react or say goodbye.

Marilyn then gets ready for bed and downs a few more diet pills before going to bed.


	4. Pro Ana

Chapter 4 – Pro- Ana

Marilyn sat down and started looking up different ways to lose weight quickly. Suddenly, she came upon a series of websites for the Pro-ana movement. She had never heard of it before but the diet pills were only doing so much and she needed more of an edge. She could tell that everyone was staring at her because she STILL wasn't skinny enough even though she had lost 15 pounds in the past month. The tips she got from these sites were really comforting and she couldn't wait to start this new life style. Suddenly, she heard her front door close. "Marilyn… Marilyn you ready?" yelled Joe

"Just about." Marilyn called back. She went into the bathroom to pop a few more diet pills. Forgetting to shut the site down. Joe walked into Marilyn's bedroom and saw the website on the computer screen. He looked at it and was so shocked he shut the screen off and went back in the livingroom. He couldn't believe his own girlfriend wanted to become anorexic. The thought of it made him sick. Ever since that day she got rejected from Bombshell he could tell something wasn't right but he didn't think it would EVER lead to this. He thought that his girlfriend was smarter than that. He was in such shock he didn't notice when she came into the living room. "So, come on, I'm going to be late." She said

They left the apartment together. On the car ride to the theatre neither of them said anything. " Break a leg tonight." Said Joe

"Thanks. I'll see you later." She said as she exited the car.

Marilyn could tell something was bothering Joe but with so much else on her mind she didn't have too much time to delve into what it could be.

When Marilyn got home it was about 2am. Joe and Sam were sitting at the table. "Hello, Marilyn, I think we need to talk. " said Joe "sit down."

"What's going on?" asked Marilyn

Joe takes out a stack of papers and a bunch of pill bottles and puts them on the table.

" Venture to guess what all these are?" asked Joe

"Well those are papers and empty pill bottles." Said Marilyn

"Marilyn, I saw the website you were on this morning. The Pro-Ana Movement? What are you thinking?! You want to be anorexic on purpose?" demanded Joe

"You don't know what it's like in this business, Joe. I just need a little help. The pills were helping but I need something more. I was just looking at the website as an option." Said Marilyn

"Marilyn, I am in the business too and I know the temptation to use all this stuff but anorexia and diet pills are not the answer. I had a friend who went through this too and it did not work out for him. He wasted away into nothing. I don't want that to happen to one of my best friends." Said Sam

"Well your friend couldn't control it. I can." Said Marilyn

"No you can't. You don't control dramatic weight loss it controls and brainwashes you until there is nothing left." Said Sam

"That's not true. It can be controlled. I know it can. It will help make me big." Said Marilyn starting to cry

"The only way to control it is to stop and get help. I think you need to drop out of the show and go to rehab for a while." Said Joe

"No! I won't do that! This show means the world to me. I will not give it up. Not for you. Not for anyone! Now, get out of my apartment! Both of you! Right now!" screamed MarilynThe guys don't move. "I said GET THE HELL OUT!"

"We aren't going anywhere. Sorry." Said Sam

"Then, I'll leave." Marilyn said as she slammed the door behind her.

Sam follows her. Marilyn walks down the street. She sees all types of different people out late and night as she is trying to figure out where to go. She sees a billboard for Bombshell. "Is this or is this not New York?" She starts to sing:

Oooooohh New York x2 Grew up in a town that is famous as the place of movie scenes Noise was always loud, there are sirens all around and the streets are mean If I can make it here, I can make it anywhere, that's what they say Seeing my face in lights or my name on marquees found down on Broadway Even if it ain't all it seems, I got a pocketful of dreams Baby, I'm from New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New York! On the avenue, there ain't never a curfew, ladies work so hard Such a melting pot, on the corner selling rock, preachers pray to God Hail a gypsy-cab, takes me down from Harlem to the Brooklyn Bridge Some will sleep tonight with a hunger far more than an empty fridge I'm gonna make it by any means, I got a pocketful of dreams Baby, I'm from New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York These street will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New York! One hand in the air for the big city, Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty No place in the world that can compare Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah In New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York These street will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York! " she concluded. She went into a nearby diner sat at a table and started to cry.


	5. Don't Cry Out Loud

Chapter 5: Don't Cry Out Loud

Sam walks into the diner and sits next to Marilyn. "What are you doing here?" asked Marilyn

"I came to see if you were all right." Said Sam "And to take you home. Fast food is not going to solve your problems."

"I wasn't going to eat." Said Marilyn taking out a bottle of liquor she was hiding in her coat

"That's not going to solve your problems either. Now, come on, it's late let me walk you home and we can discuss this more tomorrow." Said Sam

"Fine. I'll go home but I'm not discussing anything." Said Marilyn

"You're right we don't have to discuss anything. We can just hang out and do whatever you want to do. In fact, I'm meeting my boyfriend Tom for lunch tomorrow afternoon why don't you and Joe join us? Get your mind off of the pressure of the show." Said Sam

"All right. I'll talk to Joe about it." Said Marilyn

Sam and Marilyn leave the diner and walk back to Marilyn's apartment. Joe was sleeping on the couch when she walked in. "Good night, Sam."

"Good night, Marilyn."

Marilyn closes the door, goes to her room pops a few pills, gets ready for bed, and instantly falls asleep.

(***)

The next day, Sam walked into Tom's apartment. They were meeting there before they went to lunch. "You all right? You look exhausted." Said Tom

"I was up all night with Marilyn." Said Sam

"You worried about the show?" asked Tom

" Not the show. The person." Said Sam

"Come again?" asked Tom

"My friend Marilyn is worrying me. I think she might be addicted to diet pills and she's thinking about joining the Pro Ana movement. Her boyfriend Joe and I set up an intervention for her last night and it blew up in our faces. She refused to listen to anything we had to say and walked out. I invited them for lunch to get her mind off the show she's in. That's the real problem. The pressures of the show."

" Pressure will make people do insane things. I'll help in any way I can." Said Tom

(***)

Marilyn and Joe enter La Bella where they are waved over to the table that Sam and Tom are sitting at. "Tom Levitt, this is my long time friend Marilyn Monroe and her boyfriend Joe Daniels… Marilyn, Joe, this is my boyfriend Tom." Sam introduced

"So, you are the lovely Marilyn Monroe. It's nice to meet you. Both of you. So, what do you do?" asked Tom

"I'm in the ensemble for "I will always love you," " said Marilyn

"OoO, one of our rivals. It's dangerous for Sam and I to be talking to you. Doug Hughes is a great director though. Just as good as director as Derek. Not to mention he's a thousand times nicer." Said Tom jokingly. "So, Joe is you a baseball player?"

"No. I'm a claims examiner for Arch Insurance. " Said Joe

"OoO, that sounds exciting." Said Tom

"I'd rather be in your profession to be honest." Said Joe

"No, you don't. Our profession is insanity. One day it's here the next it's gone. It's a rollercoaster." Said Tom

"Then why do it?" asked Joe

"Because we love it. It's who we are." Marilyn responded.

"There are temptations sometimes but we try to get through them." Said Sam

"Yea and we wouldn't give it up for anything" said Marilyn

"Every once in a while we do take breaks from the insanity." Said Tom "And I heard Doug is very good about giving anyone who needs it some time off. Especially if they are in the ensemble." Said Tom

"I told these two last night. I'm not taking time off. I don't need time off." Said Marilyn

"No one said you did. I was just talking very generally." Said Tom

"O, right! Sam told you all about the fact that I've been taking pills and was thinking about joining the Pro Ana movement and now he's trying to get you to convince me to take time off because you're an un bias outside party. Well, sorry but that's not going to happen. And Sam… Joe I can't believe you two would go behind my back and stage this!" yelled Marilyn

She then gets up from the table and stomps out of the restaurant. She gets in a taxi and heads to the rehearsal studio. When she gets there the creative team is in the middle of a meeting

"She's getting dangerously skinny… not to mention several people say that they see her pop handfuls of pills before and after every break. God only knows what she does at home. " Said one of writers.

"I agree, something must be done, " said Doug just then Marilyn enters "Miss Monroe, what are you doing here the ensemble isn't called in for another two hours."

"I'm sorry. I just had a huge fight with my boyfriend and I wasn't sure where else to go. " She said as she started to cry and shake

"Miss Monroe, are you… are you all right?" asked Doug

"I… I'm fine." Said Marilyn as tears start rolling down

"Miss Monroe, you've seem very detached lately and it seems to be hindering your work. I'm giving you some time off." Said Doug

"Time off. For how long?" asked Marilyn

"Indefinitely." Said Doug

"You're firing me! You've been talking to, Joe! The two of you have been conspiring against me!" yelled Marilyn

"I don't know anyone named Joe and I'm sorry, Miss Monroe but this is for your own good and the good of the show. When you deal with whatever is going on you can come back." Said Doug

Marilyn runs out of the room slamming the door behind her. She gets in a taxi and heads back to the apartment. She starts trashing the place in grief knocking things off of walls and throwing things on the floor. She goes into the bedroom, writes a note, puts the song "Don't Cry Out Loud" on her iPod and turns it up to the highest volume, and goes into the bathroom. Then she takes the entire bottle of diet pills she has in her purse and shoves them down her throat she gets dizzy and her vision gets blurry, finally she gets light headed, and as she falls to the floor she sings " And if you should fall remember you almost had it all." Everything suddenly goes black.


	6. the hospital

Chapter 6- family and friends

Joe, Sam, Tom, Julia, and Marilyn's parents were sitting in the waiting room of the hospital. Everyone was quiet.

"Are you ok?" Julia whispers to Tom who nods "Sam?" she whispered to Sam

"I will be." Said Sam "I'm worried about Joe. I hope he doesn't blame himself for this."

Sam walks over to Joe and whispers in his ear. Joe nods. Mrs. Monroe was pacing back and forth and suddenly can't take it anymore. "I can't take this anymore! When are they going to tell us something!" yelled Mrs. Monroe

"Diana, Everything will be just fine." Said Joe putting an arm around his girl friend's mother trying to comfort her.

"You stay away from me! You're the reason she's in this hospital. You were the one who spent the most time with Marilyn you should have seen this coming. You should have stopped her!" she yelled

"This is not my fault. I tried to nip this in the bud the second I found out what she was doing. I'm sorry but by that time it was too far out of control. But I don't think this was anyone's fault but Marilyn's. The pressure was just too much for her. " said Joe

Diana then hugs Joe and starts to cry on his shoulder. Her husband pulls his wife away from Joe and hugs him herself.

"When Marilyn started going out with you Joe I had my doubts but after this. It appears I was wrong. You are the right man for my daughter. You cared about her enough to try and stop her and when that failed you brought her here right away. Anyone who is willing to rescue my daughter from the grip of death is good enough for me. When she makes it. I hope the two of you get married. You're just the man she needs in her life." Said Mr. Monroe

A doctor comes out. "Mr and Mrs. Monroe, Marilyn will be just fine. She's awake and she'd like to see you. … and Joe Daniels? She wants to see you too." Said the doctor

They walk into the hospital room and see Marilyn

" I'm sorry." Said Marilyn as they entered "I'm so sorry."

"We're just glad that you're all right." Said Marilyn's father going over towards the bed and hugging her.

"I… I think I need to take a break from the entertainment world." Said Marilyn

"Whatever you decide is fine with us." Said Joe

"O, Joe. I love you." Said Marilyn

6 months later. Marilyn is in a community center room with a group of people who are sitting in a circle. Marilyn stands up. "I'm Marilyn Monroe and I'm addicted to diet pills." Said Marilyn

The End


End file.
